Radar and his evil heartworms

[Radar]

Radar is a 4-year-old-male cat. When he was about 3 years old he started to lose tuffs of fur with skin attached and was becoming very lethargic.

After several tests, the Veterinarian diagnosed him with heartworms. This came as a shock since the only classic symptom of heartworms that Radar had was being suddenly lethargic. She explained the severity of feline heartworms and the treatment. It is very scary and I am still trying to come to terms with it.

Radar was put on ‘prednisolone’. His fur and his energy returned!!

Every time I try to wean him off the meds, his fur starts falling out again. The Veterinarian recommends me to increase his dose for a couple of weeks and then start weaning him off the pills…again.

This has been going on for 9 months and I can’t seem to get Radar off the pills without his fur falling out!

Radar doesn’t like his fur falling out…when you touch him anywhere near his ‘owies spots’ (as we affectionately call them) he licks his front paws and is obviously irritated.

I do not like him being on prednisolone. Long-term use has serious effects, one being an increase of appetite.

Radar is currently a 25-pound cat with bald spots and still on the prednisolone.

I am wondering if anyone else has dealt with feline heartworms and what the treatment/medication/side effects were.

I have done quite a bit of online research and I have not come across any correlation with fur loss and heartworms. Any response is appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Radar’s human friend